Bio
Xavier Sivels is a PhD student from Smithfield, Virginia. His areas of study are African American History and African Diaspora studies.
Education
PhD Student, Department of History, Mississippi State University, 2014- May 2023 (expected)
Dissertation: “’Sissy Man Blues’: The Queering of Stagger Lee”
Dissertation Committee: Joseph Thompson (Chair), Mark Hersey, Leigh Soares
Fields: Modern America (Major field); Pop Culture History; Pop Music History; African American History
BA, Virginia State University, Peterburg, VA, 2019
Major: History
Minors: Philosophy and Biology
Academic Career
Instructor
2021 Early World History, Department of History, Mississippi State University, 6/3-6/30
2020 African American History., Department of History, Mississippi State University, 6/1-8/2
Teaching Assistant
2021 Early U.S. History, Department of History, Mississippi State University, Anne Marshal (Instructor), Spring Semester
2020 Early World History, Department of History, Mississippi State University, Julia Osman (Instructor), Fall Semester
Modern U.S. History, Department of History, Mississippi State University, Matthew Lavine (Instructor), Spring Semester
2019 Modern U.S. History, Department of History, Mississippi State University, James Giessen (Instructor) Fall Semester
Museums & Cultural Institution Experience
2021-Present Volunteer Archivist and Digital Collection Curator, Special Collections, Mississippi State University Libraries,
**Digital Humanities Project Forthcoming***
2014-15 Docent and Interpreter, 1750 courthouse Museum, Historic Smithfield Inc., Smithfield, VA
Research Interests
Publications
Public Writing
2021 “Fear of A Black-Brown Planet: Pushing ‘Replacement Theory’ And Banning CRT To Save
White Supremacy,” Mississippi Free Press, 8/18
Journal Articles-in-progress
2021 “Darktown Bully: Sexuality and Violence in early 20th Century Blackface”
Honors & Awards
2021 William E. Parrish Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award, Department of History, Mississippi State University African American History, Department of History, Mississippi State University,
Professional Associations
2021- Present Association for the Study of African American Life and History